


One Little Chance

by NKNovak



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas, Homophobia from Sonia, M/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, New York, Snowed In
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:01:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21947755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NKNovak/pseuds/NKNovak
Summary: Richie finds himself snowed in at JFK when all he wants to do is travel back home for the holidays. He decides to wait out the storm in the airport bar closest to his gate. The only seat available is next to a man who wants to be doing anything except traveling home for the holidays.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Past Eddie Kaspbrak/Original Male Character - Jesse
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	One Little Chance

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

_"Oh, but in case I stand one little chance_  
_Here comes the jackpot question in advance_  
_What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve?"_  
-What are you doing New Year's Eve? Kacey Musgraves 

_Fucking perfect_ Richie thought as he watched the snowstorm rage outside. Through the giant airport windows, all he could see was the white snow and not an inch of the black tarmac runway. It was going to be a while before he was able to take off. Well, at least JFK had a bar. 

The bar was full. The minute someone left Richie took their seat and ordered a drink. A light one, he didn’t want to get drunk, hit turbulence (when his plane did eventually take off) and get sick. He looked around him as he took a sip of his drink. The woman to his left was having a conversation with someone, probably the person she was traveling with, and the guy to his right, death grip on his wine glass, looked ready to kill someone. Richie decided to talk to him anyway.

“Hey,” Richie said. The man ignored him but Richie was not deterred, he introduced himself. “My name's Richie.” Nothing was said in reply so Richie added, “Some weather we’re having, huh?”

The guy looked at him. “Are you seriously talking about the weather?”

“Well, yeah. A snowstorm like this, so close to Christmas, it like Mother Nature is sending a big fuck you to anyone who wants to see their families.”

“Yeah, or anyone who's being forced to,” the guy said quickly followed by, “My names Eddie, by the way, how long have you’ve been waiting?”

“About an hour. You?”

“Two hours” Eddie was the kind of person to arrive at the airport with time to spare meanwhile Richie just got through security in time to board his plane had it not been delayed. 

“Shit! No wonder you look ready to kill someone!” Richie replied. “Where were you headed?”

“Maine.”

“Me too. I’m going to Derry.”

“As am I. A big family Christmas.”

“Sounds fun.”

“You obviously have not had a big family Christmas.”

Richie shook his head no. “Just me and my parents. I don’t have any aunts or uncles.”

“Well, it sucks.”

“How bad can it be?”

•••

_Eddie was 19, home from college and he brought his boyfriend with him to meet and have Christmas dinner with his family. He was arriving at his home on the morning of the 25th, having spent the 20th-23rd in a dorm and the 24th at his boyfriend's parent's house. They were lovely, his family on the other hand. . . He didn’t tell them Jesse was his boyfriend, his mother assumed Jesse was his girlfriend (Jessie) and he was afraid to correct her. He was regretting that now._

_Jesse could see how tense and scared Eddie was as he stood on the front porch of his house unable to knock on the door. Jesse put down one of the bags he was holding (both of them were holding bags in which were gifts Eddie got for his aunts, uncles, cousins, and mom) down so he could put an arm around Eddie, “just breathe, babe. This is your family, your mom, right?”_

_Eddie nodded._

_Jesse continued, “it’ll be fine, she’ll adjust to this, to us”_

_Eddie wasn’t so sure but he knew he couldn’t stand outside or hide his sexuality or boyfriend from his mom forever, so he knocked on the door._

_His cousin answered the door. Looked between Eddie and Jesse and knew what was about to happen. “Have you lost your mind, Eddie?”_

_“Just let us in, Abby” Eddie replied._

_Abigail shrugged, “your funeral”_

_Abigail led Eddie and Jesse to the living room, where only a few boxes, some wrapping paper, and tissue paper littered the floor as not all the gifts had been unwrapped yet._

_Eddie paused in the doorway. “Hi,” he said._

_“Eddie-bear!” Eddie’s mom, Sonia, smiled from where she was sitting in her chair. “Come over here and give me a kiss”_

_“In a second, first I want to introduce you guys to Jesse” Eddie stepped into the living room and to the side, letting Jesse appear in the doorway, “my boyfriend”_

_•••_

_“Ma, please, don’t be mad at me,” Eddie said._

_After Jesse had stepped in the doorway and said hi, he tried to shake Sonia’s hand. Instead, she got up, pushed him to the side and walked into the kitchen on the other side of the house, Eddie followed._

_“I’m not mad” Sonia replied and Eddie felt a little better, although Sonia’s reaction to Jesse wasn’t great, maybe she just needed time to adjust, just like Jesse said she would. Then she added, “we can fix you."_

_“Fix?” Eddie took a step back. “There’s nothing to fix! I’m not broken!” Eddie stormed out of the kitchen, took Jesse’s hand, and pulled Jesse out with him._

_“Eddie-bear wait!” Sonia called but he didn’t. The two got in the car and drove._

••• 

Richie shook his head, “yeah, that’s a pretty shitty Christmas.” 

“You think?” Eddie asked but it was rhetorical. “It gets worse. So, we had Christmas dinner in a diner. Classy, I know, but it was all we could afford. We got a room in a motel, then left early. I dropped him off at his home and then drove all the way back to NYU, it took forever. After all that the next, and last time, he texted me was on New Year's Eve, to break up with me.” 

Richie nodded. “Shit. That beats my worst Christmas” 

“What was yours?" 

“That time I had Scarlet Fever. It was awful" 

“How the hell did you get Scarlet Fever?” 

“I don’t know,” Richie shrugged. “I was 8, I just remember that I had it and it sucked. Not as much as getting dumped on News Years, though.” Then Richie smiled, “but, hey, his loss is someone else’s gain" 

“Yeah, the guys are just lining up” Eddie muttered sarcastically. 

“But, if your mom was so awful, why are you going to spend Christmas with her?” 

“I’m not. My mom and I haven’t talked since that Christmas. I’m spending it with my friend Bill’s family.” 

“Then what’s the problem? Apart from being stranded in an airport?” 

“It’s not the people I have a problem with, it’s this whole damn holiday. Every Christmas from the first I can remember until I was 19 was hell. The one silver lining was never having to celebrate this shit again. That was until Bill and his wonderful family forced me when I was 20 to celebrate with them and then every Christmas after." 

“You hate the entire holiday?! Crazy talk Eds-” 

“Don’t call me Eds” 

“-there has to be one thing you like about the holiday” 

“Nope" 

“What about the music?” 

“The music?” 

Richie had been listening to a lot of Christmas music recently so it was the first thing that came to mind. “Yeah, you know, White Christmas, Santa Claus is coming to town, that Mariah Carey one." 

“I don’t care for the music. I’d much rather listen to any other song." 

“I like all of them” Richie pulled out his phone, and put his Christmas album on shuffle, a song played at random, it was Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra. Richie smiled, this song had a choir backing up Frank, Richie, although he was not very good joined the backup singers. The people around them didn’t seem to notice or care since they were to immersed in their own conversations. If Richie has been paying attention he would have seen the bartender throw him a glare but he didn’t notice because he was to busy looking at Eddie who was laughing, it was the first time since Richie started talking to him that Richie managed to crack his frown and he couldn’t be happier. 

••• 

It was hours before the snowstorm finally turned into a flurry and the planes were able to fly. Richie and Eddie found themselves boarding the same plane but at different times. Richie was one the first to board sitting in business class and Eddie one of the last sitting towards the back. 

••• 

Once Christmas was over and Richie was finally back home he got a text from Bev reminding him of her annual New Year's Eve party. She invites everyone to stay and party with her in New York, despite the fact she doesn’t live in New York and hasn’t since college, Ben and Bev liked traditions together. 

Richie groaned looking at the text, he had to come up with a good reason for missing her party for the 3rd year in a row. He just didn’t have the energy to deal with engaged (finally) Ben and Bev, married Stan and Patty, even Mike had a new boyfriend who the losers hadn’t met yet. Unless. . . Richie pulled out his phone and took a chance. 

_Hey Eddie, it's Richie. Are you back in New York?_

_Yes._

_We didn’t have the same return flight 🙁_

_What do you want?_

_Just wanted to ask what are you doing New Year's Eve?_

No response so Richie added. 

_I was invited to a party in New York and thought you might want to come._

_Yeah, I’ll go with you. Bill stood me up to go to a party with his boyfriend anyway._

_Great! I’ll pick you up!_

Richie texted him the information Bev sent him: address, time, casual dress code, etc. 

••• 

Ben and Bev’s party got bigger over the years, moving from Ben’s dorm room to meeting in a bar, then fancier rooftop bars, and now years later she rented out a penthouse with a full bar overlooking Times Square, they had a great view of the ball as they waited for it to drop. The guest list grew too including old friends like to losers to the new friends they made as well as their friend's significant others. 

“So,” Richie asked as they walked through the door, “what made you say yes to my party invitation?” 

“I didn’t want to be alone on New Year's Eve” Eddie replied, “I texted you that.” 

“You mean you don’t hate New Years?” 

“I don’t hate every holiday, Richie!” Eddie defended himself. “Most of my New Year's memories are happy, even when I was a kid, I would sneak out to meet with my friends at midnight, we’d all watch the ball drop in Bill’s basement. Even today, Bill would come to the city for New Years and celebrate with me." 

Richie was about to reply when Bev approached them, “Richie, you made it!” Bev pulled Richie into a hug. “Who's your friend?” 

"This is Eddie.” Richie replied. “Eddie, this is Bev, the host of the party.” 

“Nice party, Bev” Eddie complimented. 

“If you think it’s nice now, wait until you see the full bar,” Richie said pulling Eddie towards it and fixing them drinks. The same they had that night at the airport. 

Richie introduced Eddie to his friends, Ben, Stan, and Stan’s wife, Patty. When Richie tried to introduce Eddie to Mike, Eddie already seemed to know Mike's new boyfriend. 

"Bill!” 

So, this was the famous Bill, Eddie’s best friend, who also happened to be dating Mike. 

“I didn’t know you were coming to this party,” Bill said. 

“I didn’t realize this was the party you ditched me for” Eddie’s words to Bill had no anger behind them, more of a playful joking tone. “Richie invited me.” 

“Hi, I’m Richie!” Richie said to Bill and then to Mike, ”great to see you again, Mike!” 

“I’m glad you came this time, Richie!” Mike replied. 

They talked for a bit before Mike and Bill went to talk to the rest of the losers. 

“Rich?” 

“Yeah Eds?” 

“Don’t call me Eds” Eddie said before asking, “Why does everyone keep saying they are so glad to see you again?” 

“Well, you know how adult life is, I rarely get to see my old friends from Derry except on New Year's Eve but I’ve missed the party the last couple years” 

“Really? You hate New Year's Eve!” Eddie replied. 

“I don’t hate New Years,” Richie said walking towards the window, the ball was about to drop. “I just didn’t want to be around all these couples. I liked spending New Year's Eve in bars cause a cute boy usually kissed me at midnight” Richie replied. 

“Is that the real reason you invited me to this party?” Eddie asked. 

“Damn. You saw through my plan!” 

“You're an idiot,” Eddie said but he was smiling and pulled Richie into a kiss as a chorus of “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” erupted around them. 


End file.
